Scarlet Thread of Fate
by Aiikawarazu
Summary: A series of separate Eremika drabbles/short stories to participate in EreMika Week. Some romance, some angst, some slight smut Disclaimer: I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin nor its characters. Cover image is not mine.
1. Day 1 - Scarf

**Day 1 – Scarf**

**Pair: Eremika**

**Theme: Romance, Fluff**

**Summary: Mikasa lost her scarf and felt all miserable... Until Eren found it and wrapped it around her again.**

**Rated: T**

**Author's notes: This was originally made as an entry for Eremika week on tumblr, which starts on Nov 9th. But I decided to post it now cause I badly need some Eremika fluff. Too early won't hurt! As always, rate & review are appreciated. Thanks for dropping in and enjoy!**

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"Eren," Mikasa tugged at her adoptive brother's sleeve, making him turn with a questioning look. She had her eyes down. Sadness hung thickly over her and her expression held such deep melancholy that he couldn't help but notice. It was almost as though he could see dark clouds hanging over her head. "What is it?" he said, quickly being alarmed. Mikasa rarely ever showed her emotions at all, he knew it must be something great to make such sadness showed on her face.

"I…," she tried to speak but stopped. He could see her lips quivered and her breath started to quicken as she struggled to maintain her emotions. Her eyes were filled with feelings almost identical to desperation. His blood began to rush quickly seeing her. _What was wrong?_ The last time he had seen her like this was when they both had to abandon his mother to become prey to a titan.

"I lost… your scarf," she finally said quietly, and he felt himself sighed in relief. He had been expecting the worst. "Gosh, Mikasa… don't scare me like that," he said, pulling away his sleeve from her. Now that she mentioned it he realized the absence of her favorite garment that's usually wrapped around her neck. For years that scarf was always there that it was strange seeing her like this. She almost looked completely bare and empty without it. "It's just a scarf, Mikasa. Don't get so down," he said in an attempt to cheer her up.

"But…," she continued, her voice small. Inside she could feel a jabbing pain at his seemingly care-free words. Eren didn't care at all that she lost it. He didn't feel anything, even though he should know how meaningful the scarf was to her. She felt miserable, so pitifully cold and empty without it. And seeing how Eren didn't seem to mind at all only added to her pain.

Eren watched as Mikasa's face darkened even further at his words, and sighed. He understood the importance of the scarf for her – he had _given_ it to her, after all. But just because she lost it didn't mean she had to act like it's the end of the world. "When did you lose it anyway?" he asked again to her, trying to lift her mood a little.

"Last night, I took it off when I went for shower," she answered. Her voice was still small. "It probably fell somewhere along the way from the girl's cabin to the shower room." He raised his eyebrow. "Have you tried looking for it?"

"I looked everywhere along the way, even with the help of Sasha and Christa. Still we couldn't find it," she said remorsefully. So thick were those feelings in her voice, he could almost see the sorrow she radiated. "It probably got blown away by the wind," said Eren, turning his head to the direction of the girl's cabin, and frowned slightly. It was located right in front of the forest, and as he recalled last night was pretty windy. He wouldn't be surprised at all if the scarf was blown inside the forest and got stuck to a tree there somewhere.

"Anyway," he said, ending his thoughts by giving her a light pat on the shoulder. Training was about to get started and they were running out of time to chat. "Don't stress over it, OK? We'll talk about this later." He waved to her casually before running slightly to his position, just in time before their instructor announced the start of their afternoon training session. Mikasa watched as he drifted away, silent but her eyes radiated a hint of pain that was too obvious for anyone to miss.

* * *

Mikasa ran, panting heavily as she tried to make her way as fast as she could. Darkness had begun to descend on the sky, a hint of orange color by the sun in the far west quickly turned into dark blue as the night began to fall. She had wanted to look for her scarf straight after training was over, but today was her cleaning shift. Much to her disagreement, she had to stay in the cabin and do her cleaning duty even though inside she screamed pitifully, wanting nothing but for her shift to end as soon as possible. As soon as her cleaning shift was over she had darted out to look for her scarf, but even in her desperate state she could tell it was impossible. It was already too dark out here.

She threw her back in frustration against the nearest tree trunk and sighed heavily, letting herself slid slightly until she was seated on the ground. Slowly her fingers reached to her neck, miserably trying to feel the garment that wasn't there. She hated that another day had passed without the warmth of his scarf around her neck. Even though for just a moment, she felt like she was back in the times before Eren wrapped it around her – cold, and alone. The feeling of loneliness, of losing everything and not having a place to go home. It was sickening, and she loathed that feeling.

It was in that time, that a much too familiar voice brought her out from her thoughts.

"Here you are."

Mikasa stirred. She didn't expect to hear that voice here. Quickly she turned to the source of the voice, her heart beat faster as she found herself staring into the face of her adoptive brother. His appearance stunned her into silence. His face was flushed, messy. His breath was heavy and sweat was running all over his body. His hair stuck out in a hopeless tangle all over the place. His shirt was tainted with dirt, and a few rotten leaves were still stuck on his shirt and the back of his hair. He looked completely like a train-wreck.

"Where have you been?" she asked, horrified at his conditions. Eren looked like he had just been straight out of a survival training. Hurriedly she approached him, as she drew closer she could see countless fresh scars and bruises on his arms and the back of his hands. "Who _did_ this to you?" she asked, her voice full of concern as she lifted one of his hands into the light to take a closer look at his scars. Eren immediately winced as Mikasa's hands pressed against his bruises. "Ouch! Hey, careful…!" he said, grimacing at the pain. He pulled his hand away from her grasp. "It's nothing Mikasa, I just… fell down."

"Fell down from where?" said Mikasa, her looks puzzled. She couldn't imagine anywhere for him to fall down that would end up with him looking completely messy like this. And how would that explain the dirt and rotten leaves stuck to his body? Unless…

She eyed him with increasing scrutiny in her gaze. "Did you fall down… a tree?" she asked. He turned his sight away irritatedly at her question but answered nonetheless. "Yeah."

"What were you doing there?" her words brought his gaze back. His mouth curled into a silent pout as he tried not to meet her eyes, but failed. She could see a flush of warm red color spread over his cheeks as their eyes met for a moment, inciting a spark that curiously made her heart skip a beat. Hurriedly she turned her gaze away, feeling the same trace of warmth now crept on her face. She knew she was turning red, and suddenly the distance between them felt a little bit too close.

"I was looking for _this_," he answered. _This?_ she was going to ask but she didn't need to. Right in the next moment she felt a smooth, warm object slowly draped around her like a velvety veil.

She held her breath. A strong sense of familiar feeling rushed her as she traced her fingers through its unyielding softness. Slowly she pulled an end of it and brought it close to her eyes, as though in a dream she saw the object she had been so desperately trying to find now present in front of her.

_Her scarf._

"I told you not to worry about it too much," Eren continued, still slightly pouting as she stared numbly to her scarf, too stunned to react. "After all, it's just a scarf." He was trying to act as though it's nothing, but even then she could see a hint of awkward gentleness on his face as he slowly covered her with the maroon scarf.

"Eren…," she started, but closed her mouth again as she could find nothing to say. Suddenly it felt like that time again - when he rushed to save her from the kidnapper and brought her to a new home. And just like that time – once again she was that little girl who was too stunned to react. She simply stared at him silently, wondering at his pure and blatant kindness, so honest that it was often misunderstood. Little by little his gentleness overtook her, wrapping her in, until she found herself completely embraced by it – bathing in a warm and pleasurable feeling that he radiated.

"You always made me wrap this around you, didn't you?" She opened her eyes at his voice, and found his face just inches away from her. He was so… close. She could feel the warmth of his breath, she could count the threads of his fluttering eyelashes. She stared back into his eyes, and found an unmistakable trace of tenderness there behind those pair of green eyes that she adored. Those eyes… He had never looked at her like that in years. Not since the fall of Shinganshina that changed their lives forever. Ever since then she always saw hatred behind his smiles, revenge behind his words. But not this time.

"Mikasa," he called. His body stood close to her, his hand slowly holding her scarf, caressing it softly. She returned her gaze to him, shyly eyeing him behind her curtain of dark eyelashes. As his gentleness resurfaced through all of his anger and hate, she could see him clearly. He was there all along. He had always been that boy who had risked his life to save her six years ago – the boy she had fallen in love with, until now.

"I told you, don't get too attached to this. It's just a scarf," he continued. "Even if you lose it…," he paused and inhaled, scratching his head awkwardly, seeming to hesitate to resume his words. "Even if you lose it… you still… won't lose me," he pressed on, his face getting redder and redder with every words. Mikasa froze.

"What… did you mean?" she asked, her brain seemed to work pitifully slow to digest his words. Eren covered his face in frustration and sighed. How embarrassing_._ He hadn't wanted to say such things directly but the look on her face when he coiled her with that scarf was almost unbearable. She was attractive – much too attractive that he would be blind not to see her. Her pale, milky skin color. Her pair of enchantingly beautiful black eyes, shaded with a tint of grey, gleaming silently under the dim firelight. And her beautiful strands of black hair – softer than any silk, blacker than charcoal – that always seemed to be perfect no matter what she did to it. He remembered the feeling of running his fingers through her hair, a long time ago, when they were still kids. He recalled the smoothness of it, the enticingly beautiful feeling he felt as he twirled it around in his hand and let it fall softly. Mikasa was beautiful – very much so. And she was completely devoted to him, to the point that he found it frustrating sometimes. He knew she was overprotective for a reason – but he felt it was needless for her to worry that much about him.

_Because, no matter what happens, he would never leave her alone._

"_Mikasa_," he groaned painfully in response. He couldn't believe how slow she was being at the moment, while she was usually sharp. _Damn her_ – forcing him to make another explanation when he's already so embarrassed having to say these things. _It should be clear already what he meant by his words, shouldn't it?_ Inhaling deeply, he gathered all the pieces of his will. Then, with a swift motion, he pulled her body into him, embracing her tightly within his arms. Mikasa gasped. Her heart gave a quick jump and a scarlet blush spread on her cheeks faster than wildfire spread on bushes. "E-Eren…?!" she stuttered, trying to find something to say to react to his assertiveness.

"It _means_," he continued, ignoring her little gasp and stunned reaction. "We'll always be together, so you don't need to worry, Mikasa." Mikasa's eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't believe her ears. Suddenly everything felt so surreal to her. She had longed to hear those words from him since years ago. And now she heard him saying it to her gently, assuringly, a hint of strong resolve behind his voice.

And Mikasa knew, when Eren said something with such a determination it only meant one thing: it was a promise. And Eren had never broken a promise. Not even once. She felt her heart tremble as his words began to dawn upon her.

_They will always be together in the years to come._

Closing her eyes to the kind words, she found herself sighed in relief. It was almost as though a brand new feeling washed upon her. A feeling of calm, of peacefulness. The feeling as though she could close her eyes for a moment and everything will be all right – because right beside him she saw no cruelty in this world. Right beside him she saw the world as she wanted it to be: beautiful. Silently she wrapped her hands around him in return, dropping her head to lean on his shoulder. Her strands of black hair tickling his neck softly as she breathed the salty scent of his skin, mixed with the smell of fresh dirt. His warmth sunk into her deeply, she could feel him in her skin, within her bones, beating with her heart, and flowing with her blood. He filled her in completely until all she could feel and breathe inside herself was him.

"Come on," he said, finally breaking the embrace after a while. His fingers traced around her arm, stopping at her hand to pull it softly into his. "I'll walk you back." As he stood with his back to her, she couldn't help but realize. His shoulder was broad, his back was carrying a fine tone of masculinity. She always protected him so much that she failed to notice. Eren was no longer the boy she used to know – he had truly grown into a man.

"Yes…," she said, squeezing his hand gently in return. Quietly she walked beside him, in a blissful silence that spoke louder than any words.

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**Author's notes: As usual I would like to thank Anorable, HighQueen, StormyInk, Spoileralert, and Kuro-Shinozaki, my wonderful sources of Eremika inspiration. Comments and feedback always make me happy, so if you enjoy please drop your review, they're always appreciated! If you are hungry for a hot Eremika smut piece, please check my other work, titled Yours Completely. Thank you for reading and please continue to look forward to my next works for this wonderful pair :)**


	2. Day 2 - Fight

**EreMika Week Day 2 Prompt: Fight**

**Title: You Don't Need to Fight Anymore**

**Pair: Eremika**

**Theme: Angst, Romance**

**Rated: T**

**Author's Notes: Occurs on chapter 51, I decided to take the liberty to change things a bit. This is drabblish in nature - but I tried my best to convey Eren's feelings for Mikasa here. Enjoy!**

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It was chaos all over the walls that night as the expedition team came back from their mission of retrieving Eren Yeager. Shouts and cries echoed everywhere, medics were running up and down trying to help as many of the wounded as they could, while the remaining people counted with their trembling fingers who made it back alive.

Eren kneeled and put Mikasa down from his back gingerly. "Are you all right, Mikasa?" he said. "We should get you to the medics, hold on just –" he stopped, his mouth gaping slightly looking at her conditions. Mikasa was gripping the handle of both of her swords tightly. Her breath was quick and shallow. Her eyes weren't looking at him. They were oddly focused, looking at an object that wasn't on her sight. "Fight…" she said, under her trembling breaths. "We have to fight… or we cannot… live…"

Eren gasped. He was surprised, but even more than that, he could not describe how pitiful it was seeing Mikasa like this. To even think that the usually fully-controlled, clear-headed Mikasa, could be behaving this way. His heart throbbed with pain as he realized what drove her to this state. Mikasa was damaged, way more damaged than what she ever let anyone knew. She had been fighting so tremendously for his sake, putting herself under the blades so many times, with little regard to her own life. Fighting seemed to be etched into her memory so deep. Even in her sub-conscious state, with the injury that she just suffered, her brain still continuously told her to fight to live on – to protect him.

When he realized, he had rushed into her, gripping her tightly inside his arms.

"That's enough, Mikasa…," Suddenly there seemed to be a big lump stuck in his throat. His voice choked as he tried to swallow, but it only became even more painful. "That's enough. You don't need to fight anymore…"

Mikasa had been forced to endure the world's cruelty so many times – watching as again and again her family was taken from her, leaving her to live alone with the pain. She always tried to cover it behind her impassive mask, but he had been with her too long to be fooled. Inside she was breaking. And he wasn't going to make her go through that pain again.

Mikasa's body relaxed a little when she heard his voice. Her grip on her sword handles began to loosen a bit. "Eren…?" she asked, though her eyes still weren't looking at him. "Hush," he replied. Gently he caressed her hands and started to unwrap her fingers from the sword handles. "It's OK, Mikasa. You can stop fighting. We are safe now."

At least beside him, she didn't need to fight so immensely. At least in front of him, she could put her guard down.

"It's all right now, Mikasa…" He put his hands on hers and gently put her swords down, relieved when her now less-tense hands put no resistance, simply letting him pull her.

He wouldn't let her endure that pain alone. He wouldn't let her fight so tremendously alone anymore.

Because this time, it was his turn to start protecting her.


	3. Day 3 - Heartbeat

**EreMika Week Day 3 Prompt: Heartbeat**

**Title: To Never Hear It Again**

**Pair: Eremika**

**Theme: Angst (and for a reason)**

**Rated: T**

**Summary: Once she cried because she heard his heartbeat. Now she cries for a different reason**

**Notes: I know this was late, sorry, just wasn't feeling well yesterday. I still hope that you enjoy this though!**

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Mikasa stared silently at the scenery in front of her. Tears were running down her face, mixed with her blood and sweat, tainting her face with streaks of red color. Her eyes were clouded with deep pain as she traced her eyes numbly on the familiar features of her adoptive brother's face. Her arms wrapped tightly around him, pressing his body close to her. Slowly she brought up her pale, trembling finger and caressed the face that she so much cherished. Eren was bloodied, all wounded, bruised and beaten from battle. There was a deep cut right near his eyebrows. Softly she wiped it with her hand, feeling the sticky red liquid between her fingers. His lips slightly parted, his eyes were closed. It was as though he was just in a deep sleep, and he would wake up at any moment and ask her why she's crying.

But when she pressed her ears against his chest, trying to find the sound that she desperately looked for, she found hollowness surged within her. She couldn't find it there. The calm, steady sound of his heart beating. Just last night she heard it, when they were so close together. Just last night his body was pressed close against her like this, his arms wrapping her in a gentle embrace, and she found herself lulled to sleep by the beautiful sound of his heartbeat. Slowly, silently, telling her that he was alive. That he was here, with her. That they were together, and in that moment she could close her eyes and felt peace. Because as long as he was around, she always found a place she could call home.

But as she closed her eyes now, a different kind of feelings surged through her. Where she could feel peace, now she felt pain. She knew she was familiar with this. She had seen this too many times. She had felt this pain far too many times. But just because she got used to this didn't mean it didn't hurt.

She tightened her arms around his body, burying her face in the hollows of his neck, trying to keep her crying silent but to no avail. Soon her mouth opened and she let out a long wail, a loud, heartbroken cry of a girl who had lost her home, her family, once again.

His body was cold, lifeless. And she knew he would never wake up again. But she wished he would. She so _painfully_ wished that he would.

A gentle but firm hand touched her on her shoulder, squeezing it softly. And in the next moment she heard Armin's voice, trembling as he spoke softly to her.

"Let him go, Mikasa." Mikasa shook her head, not saying anything but tightening her grip on his body even further. His hand on her shoulder squeezed even tighter and when Armin's spoke to her again, his voice broke of sadness and tears.

"There's nothing you can do for him, Mikasa. Nothing. He's gone…"

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**Author's Notes: I'm very VERY sorry for writing this DX I don't like the idea, but I sort of want to picture how devastating it would be for one of them to lose the other. I hope this would NEVER happen in the manga. Sorry once again! .**


	4. Day 4 - Cruel World

**EreMika Week Day 4 Prompt: Cruel World**

**Title: At Least for Now **

**Theme: Angst, Romance**

**Rated: M**

**Summary: He knew since he entered the military that he had to be prepared to lose someone. But now as the possibility was baring itself in front of him, he found himself still shaken by the thought of losing her. This was the cruel truth that they all must face. **

**Notes: Slight smut. Occurs the night after Scouting Legion's 57th expedition outside the walls.**

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"Eren….," Mikasa sighed, trying to get his attention but he wasn't listening. His breath was hot on her neck, his hands caging her in roughly, demandingly, as he pinned her on the surface of his bed. Mikasa tried to wriggle herself out of his grasp but to no avail, so she stayed still instead and let him roam herself as much as he pleased.

It had been just like any other usual nights, they would slip in quietly to each other's company when they were sure their other friends had been fast asleep. But where his kisses used to be gentle, now they were rough. Where his hands used to touch her softly, now they gripped hard, leaving red marks contrasting against her pale skin. With one quick move Eren placed his knee between her thighs, separating them, quickly shoving himself into her with more force than what she was prepared for. She let out a small gasp, trying to ignore the pain, as she held her thighs open for him to enter. He immediately stopped. Her gasp seemed to have brought back his usual senses, his eyes now stared at her regretfully.

He brought his hand up and caressed her face, silently apologizing for making her uncomfortable. He knew he shouldn't have been so rough, but he was barely able to control himself. He was falling and he desperately needed to cling to her. He needed to embrace her within his arms, to touch her, feel her with all his skin and everything within him, to stop him from falling further into the darkest pits of hell that he was going into.

Mikasa didn't say anything. Eren wasn't usually rough when he made love to her and she knew, of course she knew why he was behaving this way tonight. Slowly she ran her fingers through the strands of his brown hair, kissing his forehead quietly to let him know that she forgive him. "Eren," she said again, her arms circled around him to soothe his feelings. "It's not your fault. There's nothing you can do about it… Let it go." He buried his face on her shoulder and even then she could feel him shudder as he answered.

"It could have been you….," he said. His voice was heavy with pain and sadness. Memories flashed in front of his eyes as he recalled the terrible scenes he was forced to witness. The female titan, ripping Erd's body and spitting him in half, swinging her hand to smash Auruo, and stomping at Petra, effectively killing them all even before they were even able to scream. And he couldn't stop himself from thinking. It could have been Mikasa on the titan's feet, dying quickly and having her body abandoned like a piece of trash in the titan's territory. It could have been her. And he could have done nothing to protect her.

"Eren. You were the one who told me once, right? This world is a cruel place," Mikasa's voice brought him back. He halted. He knew already when he entered the military that he would have to be prepared to lose someone. But now as the possibility was baring itself in front of him, he still found himself shaken by the thought of losing her. How long will he still be able to have Mikasa by his side? She could be gone tomorrow, or the day after. He never knew.

He brought his trembling lips to her, meeting her in a long, carnal kiss. She was right. This world sure was a cruel place. They were all just mere people, trying to survive while carrying their own scars, into the unknown tomorrow. That's why he desperately needed to feel her now, to know that she's still with him, moving, breathing, and alive, at least for now.

"Stay…," he said after a while. "Stay with me tonight." Mikasa said nothing but her grip around his body tightened slightly, and by then he knew she had quietly agreed to his plea.

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**Author's Notes: This entry was kinda late (again). Sorry, it's just I need to think really hard of how to better picture the prompt 'cruel world' from Eren's side and not, like the canonly-famous scene, from Mikasa's side. I would like to thank Anorable, StormyInk, and Kuro-Shinozaki for this story. You guys are wonderful and without you I'll never have the inspiration to write Eremika. As always, I hope you enjoy and if you do, please drop rate & review as they always make me happy! Until next time and I hope you can continue to enjoy my work!^^**


	5. Day 5 - Beautiful World

**EreMika Week Day 5 Prompt: Beautiful World**

**Title: A Peaceful Day**

**Theme: Romance, Fluff**

**Rated: T**

**Summary: Happy EreMika, for once :)**

**Notes: Occurs after chapter 51, a few months after the whole team started living together**

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Mikasa leaned herself against the tree trunk and sighed, wiping sweats from her clammy forehead. Today had been a very hot day, and working outside chopping woods hadn't exactly been pleasant. Her whole body was drenched with sweat, sticky and uncomfortable. Slowly she unwrapped her scarf from her neck and folded it, before placing it carefully on her lap. Today was too hot to wear this scarf, and she didn't want it to get stained with her sweat. _At least it's cool here, beneath the shades of the tree,_ she thought quietly, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of the wind on her face.

She woke up when she heard the distant sound of woods being chopped. Opening her eyes slightly, she saw herself covered by a familiar brown jacket. She grasped the fabric, looking at it for a while as her brain slowly worked. This was Eren's jacket. Since when was it here?

The sound of wood chop was heard again. She turned her head and saw someone holding her axe, swinging it constantly to splinter a piece of wood into several smaller ones, putting those pieces aside before repeating the same process again with a new piece wood. She sat up straight at this scenery, looking at the sky around her that had turned orange. _Oh no_, she thought, horrified. Apparently she had overslept. "Eren!" she called to her adoptive brother, the very same person who had been chopping the woods. "I'm sorry… I overslept. Did you take over my work…?"

Eren's movement halted at her voice, his head turned to face her. "Mikasa," he said. "It's OK, I'm done anyway." He gathered the pieces of woods in one hand and approached her, putting his load on the grass before sitting right beside her. "Today has been hot, I understand you need to take a nap. Don't force yourself."

"Sorry," she mumbled. She still felt bad anyway. Suddenly it felt just like that time in their childhood, when Eren would take a nap after, or sometimes even _before_, he was finished gathering firewood. Only that time it was her waking him up, and this time it's the other way round.

"I said it's _fine_," he replied, rather impatiently. "And by the way…," he tried to make his voice sound as casually as he could. "Next time, try to sleep in a more proper position. Your _underwear_ was showing, you know." She tugged at her skirt immediately, her face blushing at his words. "You saw?" she asked, panic hit her.

"Not like I had any other choice!" Eren replied. "You were sleeping so soundly, I couldn't wake you up. You even had drools on your face!" She gasped, her hands frantically search all over her face to wipe it. _She drooled? And Eren just had to see her like that. _But then she saw a grin emerge on his face, and she knew he was playing with her. "Eren!" she said as he laughed out loud.

"Your _face_," he said, between his laughs. "I haven't seen you looking like _that_ in years." She wrapped her scarf on her face, choosing not to say anything to hide her embarrassment. "Well," he continued, still grinning. His arm glided smoothly around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder as he inched closer behind her, pulling her into him. "It's good to see you acting like a normal human for a while."

Mikasa heaved a sigh and closed her eyes, letting her head drop back to rest on his sturdy chest. "It's peaceful," she said, ignoring his remark about her not behaving like a normal human most of the time. She said nothing more but he knew what she was thinking. Once again it felt like that time in the old days. Every day he would take Mikasa out to gather firewood, or to the market to pick up a few things needed at home. And then they would play, around the riverbanks or the alley of the town, listening to Armin telling them stories about the outside world. Mikasa would look a little bit worried everytime he said he wanted to go outside, but she would recede in the end when he said he'd take her there with him.

And then when they return home in the evening… they would find the warm smile of his mother greeting them. His father was on the fireplace, reading his pile of complicated-looking papers. Mikasa would then help his mother straight to prepare a meal. And in those days, though life was hard for them, all they ever felt was serene happiness.

"It'll be peaceful all the time – when I eradicate all the titans from this world," he said, clenching his fists slightly. "And then – we'll go to the outside world. To see the burning water and the lands of ice, and to the _ocean_," Eren didn't know what an ocean was except from what Armin told him, but Mikasa could hear such strong passion in his voice as he said that word. "I'll take you there, Mikasa. We'll see it together. One day, definitely," he said, tightening his arms around her and kissing the top of her head lightly. Mikasa quietly tried to hide her smile. Really, Eren was always so silly. He should have known already that it didn't matter for her, whether it was inside or outside the walls, to the ocean or the lands of fire. What mattered the most was that he'd be there with her. Because her world was wherever he is. His presence was the only one that could make this otherwise dark and cruel world more beautiful for her.

"Let's go back," he said finally, offering his hand to her. She heaved herself up, and when she stood facing him she realized. When he was usually on an eye-level with her, now she had to tilt her head slightly to look at him.

"Eren," she said, slightly astonished. "You just grew taller, didn' t you?" She walked beside him and slightly measured. "Really?" he looked puzzled at first, but his expression quickly changed to triumph as he realized. He really was taller than her by a tad now. "Of course!" he said, rather proudly, "And I'll still grow taller than this, you wouldn't be able to shove me over your shoulder again, Mikasa!" Mikasa chuckled.

"I'd like to see that," she said, taking his hand in hers as they both walked home, side by side beneath the afternoon sun.

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**Author's Notes: So! I tried writing happy Eremika for once. How do you like it? If you enjoy, as usual, please drop me a review/feedback. If you didn't enjoy, please drop feedback just the same, and tell me what I should improve! I'm far from perfect and I'd listen to your suggestions to improve my writing skills, so don't hesitate!^^ Thanks for reading and please continue to look forward to my next works!**


	6. Day 6 and Day 7 - Family and Future

**EreMika Week Day 6 and Day 7 Prompt: Family and Future**

**Title: A Real Family**

**Theme: Romance, Fluff**

**Rated: T**

**Summary: Eren asks Mikasa to marry him. Put together cause I think it makes more sense that way. Enough said, just read~**

**Notes: Occurs at the end of the story when (I hope) all the titans were finally exterminated.**

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The market hadn't been very crowded today as Mikasa walked slowly, pushing her way in through several stalls, her gaze lingering at the groups of people coming and going through the market. They all walked past her, minding their own business, not noticing her. Everything in this city, seemed so… normal. People chatting, merchants selling their goods, children running bare-footed, shouting to each other and giggling, while their parents walked slowly beside them with a smile on their faces. And as she stood looking at the scenery in front of her, basked by the afternoon sun, she felt a hint of peaceful serenity seeping upon her heart.

This was the face of freedom that humanity so desperately fought for. Shinganshina, so long under the rule by the titans, had almost returned to normal. She eyed the ever-familiar orange rooftops of the houses, and the towering grey wall in front of the city. The same walls that had been smashed ten years ago, triggering all the events that happened after, that changed her life forever. The silver bell on the tower shimmered slightly under afternoon soon, now silent because there was no need for it to ring again. The strong gate with Maria's emblem etched to it, now open because there were no more threats from the preying titans. Humanity didn't need to live in fear of the titans anymore. They could breathe the air of freedom. They could go outside the walls, wherever they pleased. They were free now.

And she too, in a way, was freed.

Tomorrow she would lay down her ever-familiar brown jacket, along with her 3D maneuver gears and swords that she had so long wielded. Tomorrow all soldiers would be withdrawn from this town, and retired. Because the war had been over. And there was no need for soldiers in a peaceful world.

"Mikasa!" Eren's voice called her. She turned and quickly ran to get him. "I'm done here restocking. What about you?" he asked, handing her a bag. She peeked inside. It was full of raw supplies – bread, fruits and vegetables, oat, sugar, and cooking oil. "Did we forget anything?"

"Seems like not," Mikasa answered. They were tasked with buying the last supplies for the squad, to make sure every soldier had enough supplies before they each headed back to their hometown. "Let's head back, we've been here long enough." Mikasa closed her eyes slightly at the strong breeze that blew right on her face, throwing her hair back. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a round thing rolled at her feet. She bent to pick it up, just in time when a little boy approached her shyly. He said nothing but his eyes were big, looking at her like a pair of orbs. She sighed a smile and handed him the ball that she just picked. "Is this yours?" she asked, her tone automatically softened beyond her concern.

A grin emerged on the boy's lips. He nodded and took the ball from Mikasa's hands, running quickly to his mother who had been standing near the fruit stall. He threw another hesitant glance toward Mikasa, then to Eren, eyeing carefully their brown jackets with military emblem embroidered on them. Then, just suddenly, a splitting smile emerged on his lips, before he sincerely mouthed, "Thank you, young miss and sir! Thank you for fighting the bad titans and helping us!" He tugged at his mother's skirt, who turned right away at Mikasa and Eren. Her eyes gleamed with a sincere feeling before she too, spoke to them.

"Thank you… for giving your lives to protect us." Mikasa and Eren quickly clenched their fists and pressed them in front of their hearts in a silent salute. As the mother and son bowed to them and walked away, Mikasa found herself kept staring at them. There was a feeling, a deep feeling hidden underneath. She had numbed herself of that emotion far too long that it was strange for her to feel them surge within herself now. Her mind went back to that time, long long ago, in the wooden house where every day she would help her mother clean the house or do the cooking, waiting for her father to come home.

"Do you want a family that badly?" Eren's voice woke her up from her thoughts. She blinked, not quite knowing what he talked about. "You were staring so intently at the mother and son," Eren explained, looking at her perplexed expression.

"I already have a family," Mikasa replied, still confused at his sudden question. "It's you, Eren."

"We've always been a family but…," Eren didn't continue. He scratched his head lightly, and for a while Mikasa could almost see a hint of red trace on his face. "Ah, nevermind," he said finally, after an awkward long pause. "Let's go back." And with that, he shoved past her, his eyes deliberately not looking at her. "Eren?" she said, confused at his sudden change of behavior, but he wasn't listening. Or he chose not to respond. Whatever the reason was, Eren was acting very strange. It was as though he suddenly tried to get away from her, and she couldn't stop herself from wondering.

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Mikasa dropped the heavy bags in front of Levi. "These are all the supplies we got from the market," she told her squad leader. He nodded slightly. "Good, now start sorting them. Fruits and vegetables go here. Breads go there. That one is for oat. And any other stuff just put them in this box," Levi started walking around and showing her. "And remember, I want them all _clean_ before being sorted."

"I can help," Sasha offered a hand. She had already been in the room, sorting for a while. Mikasa hesitantly handed her a loaf of bread, watching as the bread went into her pocket instead of the correct box. Some things never changed. Historia, who had been right beside her, sorting things into the boxes, immediately yelled. "You can't do that, Sasha! Put the bread back!" Sasha reluctantly pulled the bread out of her pocket, slightly pouting. "Geez, you just have to see that, didn't you?" Historia opened her mouth to answer but before she could say anything, all of their attention was diverted by a very loud voice outside of the window.

"Mikasa! I want you to open your ears and listen carefully right now!" Mikasa froze immediately. An apple slipped from her grip, rolling on the wooden floor. She would have to clean it again after, but now she couldn't afford to worry about it. That was Eren's voice right outside the window, calling her. Hurriedly she approached the window and stared down from the second floor. Eren was there, standing in the middle of the empty ground, his expression was a mixture between extreme embarrassment and annoyance. He wasn't alone either. Jean, Connie, and Armin were with him down there, looking back at her. Connie and Jean had a big grin all over their face while Armin just stared at her, quietly flashing an all-knowing smirk.

"What are they doing there?" asked Sasha, pretty much voicing what's in everyone's mind. Apparently Eren had got not only Mikasa's attention, but also Sasha and Historia's with it. All three of them now stood at the window, staring perplexed at the crowd down there. Sasha stared at Historia, and Historia at Mikasa, but they all blinked to each other in bemusement. Nobody knew what's going on.

"Listen carefully now, Mikasa! I'm not going to say this again!" Eren repeated after she gave him her full, undivided attention. By then almost half the squads in Scouting Legion had come running to the field, or peeking their heads outside of the window to find out who was making such a ruckus. Eren watched as the amount of onlookers grew and secretly groaned. This was all Mikasa's fault. If she wasn't so _insensitive_ that she couldn't even take a hint, he wouldn't have to resort to this.

"I want _you_ to….," his face was burning, getting redder and redder by the second as he struggled to say the words. _Damn it, those are just words_. He repeated it so many times in his head. He tried to imagine her answer each and every time. But still when it came to saying it, things could never seem right. Who knew this could be so difficult? Eren would very much prefer having to face the titans again than doing this.

"I want you to make a real family with me!" those words finally escaped his lips, shouted out loud from the bottom of his lungs, along with all the air and power inside him. And as he let those words out, he found himself breathing heavily. Mikasa still stood there, frozen, on the window of the second floor. Their gazes locked at each other in a strange, awkward manner. And then, slowly, a scarlet blush crept on her face when she finally realized the meaning behind his words. Quickly she put her hands on the window edge and shifted herself out. "Mikasa!" she could hear Sasha and Historia screamed. "This is second floor!" but she ignored them and leapt down gracefully. Second floor was nothing to her, she could handle even worse than that. Her feet brought her closer, closer to Eren. The boy from her childhood, the boy she had so long loved, the boy she had so long wished she could be with….

And the very same person who had just proposed to her.

She stood in front of him. He was still panting, his green eyes staring at her intently, when he spoke to her again, "I'm not taking 'no' as an answer." His tone was firm, final, leaving her no room for discussion. And she knew he really wouldn't let her say no.

And just like Eren, he really always was so stupid.

Because there was no way that she would ever say no.

A quiet sigh escaped her lips. And then a split second later a beautiful, brilliant smile emerged, lightening her face which had so long been dark with pain and sorrow. The sight of her smiling face struck him with realization. They were the children of war, they had survived, they had come out of it alive. But the war still had its claws dug deep into them, dragging wounds that were still painfully visible. He could see all too clearly the traces of war on her face, behind her smiles, beneath her skin. As long as they keep surviving, he knew the wounds would heal, leaving only scars that might go away with time. But some wounds would leave permanent scars that would never disappear, no matter how hard they tried to erase it.

But as long as she's with him, he'd make sure that the same old wound didn't reopen. And she could go back to her old self, before she was damaged brutally by this cruel world. Before she was forced to fight continuously, in order to survive.

"Yes," her words suddenly brought him back. He had been so deep in his thought that he didn't realize her drawing nearer to him. She tugged at his sleeve quietly, her eyes down. She always did that, to tell him silently that she was here, that she was with him. To tell him silently that she didn't want him to leave her.

And he never would.

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**Author's Notes: And that's how I concluded the Eremika week. VERY SORRY this was late, but I really had to think of an idea that's not yet exhaustive (I've read so many beautiful fanfics about Eren and Mikasa living happily with their children that I really wanted to cry. It's so beautiful to imagine them happy for once). ****Thanks to Anorable and Kuro-Shinozaki, again for giving me inspirations, always! **If you enjoy, please drop me rate/review. If you didn't enjoy, please drop me your criticism. Also, take your time to browse my other story titled "Yours Completely" - if you are hungry for a hot EreMika smut that is. Until next time and I hope you can continue to enjoy my works! :)


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